CLINTON WILL DELAY SENATE ACTION ON KYOTO PACT
Date: 17-Nov-98
Country: UK
Acting U.N. Ambassador Peter Burleigh signed the document at the United Nations on Thursday, making the United States one of the last major industrial nations to sign the agreement, reached last December during a U.N. conference on climate control.
"Our signing reaffirms America's commitment to work with the international community to turn the broad concepts of the Kyoto Protocol into working realities," Press Secretary Joe Lockhart said.
"Signing does not legally commit the United States to implement the protocol," Lockhart said, noting it would be legally binding only after receiving Senate approval.
He said the document "will not be submitted for ratification without the meaningful participation of key developing countries in efforts to address climate change."
The accord, which commits the United States to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, has encountered strong opposition because major developing nations like China and India are not bound to reduce their output of the gases linked to global warming.
